I, also, have an old quilt top to "finish" for a relative. The quilt has been in a bag or closet for MANY years. It also smells, and it has some places to fix... a few seams have come undone. I really don't want to wash it until it is fixed, sandwiched, and quilted. Then I will wash it on gentle. It's not a smoky smell, it's an old, musty smell, and I can deal with that while working on it.